The present invention relates to an electronic interactive graphics tablet. In particular, it relates to an electronic interactive graphics tablet that permits the user to correlate a particular sound effect, including music and conversational voice effects, with a specific area of both pre-printed and user-drawn images. In addition, the present invention also will permit some sound effects to be pre-correlated with a particular graphic.
Graphics and sound interactive devices are well known in the art. Such devices typically use pre-printed graphics in conjunction with an audio synthesizer. For example, audio-visual "picture books" are known, in which a picture book, with text and graphics, is provided along with a mechanism for producing sound effects related to the image on a particular page of the book. Typically, sound icons are provided, bearing graphical images corresponding to the book's graphics. When pressed, the icons cause a sound effect to be emitted, which is related to an image in the book.
However, such devices do not provide the ability to correlate and generate a user-chosen sound or audio effect in association with a user-chosen portion of a given graphical image. Moreover, such devices do not allow the user to draw or otherwise create his own graphic. As such, because of their dependency upon pre-printed graphical images, these devices are limited in their ability to stimulate the user's independent creativity. Also, such devices do not provide for expansion of the library of available sounds, and also do not provide, for example, for the use of more than one "talking book". Accordingly, there is a need for an electronic interactive graphical interface which permits the assignment or correlation of auditory stimuli such as sound effects, voice effects, melodies or other audio effects to a particular portion of an image and, particularly, to an image drawn by the user. There is a further need for an electronic graphics tablet that permits the user to expand the library of available sounds and images.